Awake At Night
by li0n-king
Summary: Isa is the first in a year to be Marked for the House Of Night, things have changed, a new age has begun and Isa is the first of her kind. The story follows Isa in the discovery of her past, and the making of her future. Is Isa more than just another Vampyre?
1. Chapter 1

The pain rattled through my brain, down my spine and back up again to my forehead, burning and branding me for life with the crescent of Nyx. I knew what it was, everyone did, but it hadn't happened for so long; over a year now…I was the first in a year to be Marked as a Vampyre fledgling. Once again, a freak.

I heard my mothers screams in the background, and her frantic phone calls to my Grandma. It seemed like she'd hung up on mum… strange… I wanted to call out, tell my mum to calm down, that I was fine, but I couldn't find the strength.

She's dialling the phone again…

My hearing is becoming clearer…

I hear the phone ring…

Grandpa answers. His voice is blunt and monotonous. His words pierce me like a knife.

"Your daughter is no longer part of this family. She is a freak. As long as you love her, we will not love you. Goodbye, Cassandra."

"NOOOOO!" I scream, the anger and hurt shocking me into motion. My mum whips her head round in terror. Her eyes are filled with tears as she moves towards me and drops to her knees.

"Isa, baby, everything is okay. I will not stop loving you. Listen to me, we'll get through this. Isa! Listen! Your grandparents are People Of Faith. They are stubborn, nothing will change them, But we, we are more…open-minded! We are strong, and will get through this. I will never stop loving you, my sweet baby girl."

I can't help but smile, though the movement burns my head.

"Can I see it, Mum?" She knows exactly what I mean, so she scrambles through her handbag and pulls out a compact mirror. She hands it to me hesitantly.

"Before you open it, know that I will always find you beautiful."Gee, thanks mum…really made it obvious that it looks awful.

I scratch at the lid nervously, biting my lip. My mum hates me biting my lip but I take advantage of the situation to gnaw contently.

It's time to look, I open the shining silver mirror with closed eyes and position it in front of my face.

"1...2...3." I whisper and open my eyes. I'm drawn to it straight away. Purple betrayal smack bang in the middle of my forehead. It had a certain magical beauty that I couldn't not acknowledge. Somehow it made me relax. For just a second a stared with disbelief. Then I raged.

"Why me! I've been uprooted seven time already. Seven! And now I have to start a new school all over again? Pack all my things and leave. Just like that." I look at my mums hurt face; she felt guilty for the amount of times we'd moved, she always had. I was angry for a different reason now. Angry that I'd let vanity cloud my ability to treat my mother right. "Mum, I'm so sorry… You're right. It's going to be fine. Maybe a new school is exactly what I need." The lie stung my heart, but I wouldn't hurt my mum, the only one to always love me. I had to leave, and I had to leave right now.

I heard my mum coming down the stairs with my suitcase. She threw my skinnies and favourite band tee at me, which reminded me I was still in my school (er, old school) uniform…  
Being in the bathroom to change gave me some well needed thinking time. Naturally, I went straight to the mirror. I traced the crescent moon with my fingers. Something struck me as different about my Mark, but I couldn't figure it out. Now that I had stopped being angry, I knew I had to take this time to think things through.  
What were my choices?  
A) Stay home with my mum, refusing to acknowledge that I've been Marked as a Vampyre Fledging and…die.  
B) Take residence at the House of Night; starting tonight…Learn about Vampyres, hoping that I don't reject the Change and… die.  
So there was my choice. Die or maybe die. Putting it like that made it more obvious that I had to go. I'd miss my mum, but she'd come and see me, right?

I left the bathroom, left the house, and embarked on the journey toward my new future…


	2. Chapter 2

I took a deep breath as I closed the car door. I was breathing heavily, and I was probably sweating too, ew. Great way to make a good impression there, Isa.

I looked up at the building, taking in the appearance of what was to be my new home. It was pretty normal - I'm not sure why I expected any different, Vamps have been living in our society for years, everyone knows they're normal - three large buildings, all of which looked acceptable, maybe even pretty.

A rush of excitement coursed through me, and I let a smile temporarily occupy my face.

"That's my girl." My mum exclaimed, clearly pleased by my enthusiasm. "It looks nice, doesn't it Isa?"

I could tell by her tone of voice she didn't want an answer, so I took my last opportunity in what would be a while to look at my mother.

She had long, flowing red hair - Not ginger, red - which I unfortunately had inherited. I'd never liked it, but I twiddled it now, happy that I was beginning to look like her; it would help when I was missing her. We also both had piercing green eyes, which people often commented on, telling us they were "Beautiful." I thought now about how much I looked up to my mother. She had gotten through so much…Her parents - my grandparents - were a nightmare. They'd disowned my mum's sister, whom we've never met, and had my mum as sort of a 'replacement daughter'. They'd always told my mum that if she put a foot out of line, they'd disown her to. I shivered, realising that they'd recently done just that.

My mum got pregnant with me at the age of sixteen, and my parents got hitched just a year later. When I was three, my dad died. I don't remember him, I wish I could say I did, but I don't. Mum does though. I see it in her eyes when I ask about him… I see the love, the hurt, the pain. I see it all in her eyes. Then I have to make things harder for my mum by making her watch her sixteen year-old daughter leave for what could be forever.

"Isa? Are you okay?"I'd been thinking so hard I hadn't noticed my mum trying to talk to me.

"Yeah, mum, I was daydreaming…sorry…let's go."

As we walk through the door, we both gasp in amazement. The corridor we've stepped into seems as though it is another world entirely. It reminds me of a medieval castle, with candle-lit lamps hanging on the walls, and red rugs covering the floors. There were pictures of six Vampyres on the walls, one larger than the others. Each had a name plate underneath: "Damien Maslin: High Council member and Sociology High Professor." Damien had fairly scruffy black hair, and something about him told me he was going to be intelligent, I looked to the next picture; "Shaunee Cole: High Council member and Advice Consultant." She was dark skinned and beautiful (Jeeesh, they were all perfect. I don't even look any different!);"Erin Bates: High Council member and Advice Consultant." The complete opposite of the previous picture, Erin was pale and blonde, with a gorgeous smile, she was wearing expensive looking clothes that really suited her, "Stevie-Rae: High Council member and Red Fledgling High Priestess." This girl was different. By that I don't mean the obvious Okie look about her. She had a red Mark. All the others were turquoise…That reminded me…Mine is purple…weird. I quickly moved on to the next picture. "James Stark: Warrior sworn to protect all at our House Of Night." This male Vamp was gorgeous, he had a cheeky grin and messy hair, but you just knew from the look of him he'd be trouble. But he's here to protect us? Good to know… The final picture and name plate had me staring, astonished. Something about her spoke to me. Yet I couldn't figure out what it was about her. (These damn loose ends.): "Zoey Redbird and House Of Night, Tulsa High Priestess." Zoey had long, jet black hair, the most beautiful I've ever seen. Her tattoos covered almost all of her visible skin, even her hands. They were exquisite. She was exquisite.

"Isa Thomas?" My head snapped up. I gasped in shock. It was her. It was Zoey Redbird.


	3. Chapter 3

As we sat in Zoey's office, my hands were shaking hard, I was breathing heavily, I was terrified.

"Isa. My name is Zoey Redbird, and I'm the High Priestess here. Welcome to our House Of Night. There are several things I will have to explain to you, but first of all…We have a rule that you may choose your name when you are 'born' into the Vampyre world…is that something you'd like to do, Isa?"I thought about my name. I wanted to keep my first name, my mum had always loved it. But my surname…It hurt mum every time she heard it…

"I'd like to remove my last name, and be known simply as Isa."

Zoey smiled. "It means strong-willed, does it not?"Jeeesh, do these people know everything?

"Yeah, it does."

"It is a beautiful name. Now, I must explain one thing to you. You are probably aware that nobody has been Marked in a very long while?" I nodded. "Yes, well, we've had some issues. I have only been High Priestess for 6 months now. Things are very different to what they used to be. You will find most of the other Fledglings have turquoise Marks…this is because you are a new kind of Fledgling. See, for a while this school was run by evil forces, and when I took over, we have had a new start." She lifted up the leg of her trousers slightly, revealing intricate purple tattoos. I let out a sigh of relief, glad I was at least one of two with purple tattoos. "I gained these new tattoos when I took my place as High Priestess. I knew them being purple meant that a new era had begun."

She stopped talking and stared worryingly at me. I realised I was pulling a grotesque face due to my confusion and corrected it into what I hoped was a smile. My mum touched my hand for reassurance.

"I realise this is confusing. Why don't we continue this chat tomorrow evening before school?""Evening? BEFORE school?" I was really confused now.

"Oh, yes, how careless of me. You see, Vampyres are affected by the light, so we much prefer to be about in the dark. Our days and nights are swapped over. School starts at 8pm and finishes at 4am, dinner is served at 5am and you're to be in bed by 7:30am.""Woah…"

"Like I said, we'll discuss this tomorrow…would 6:30pm be okay?"

I counted how many hours sleep that would be, then realised how rude it must seem that I hesitated for so long.

"Six thirty is great. Thanks." I gave her a lopsided grin to let her know I didn't mean to offend her. I liked her.

"Wonderful, we shall talk more then. Now, my warrior James Stark will show you to your room and carry your bags. While we wait, why don't you say goodbye to your mother? I'm afraid she won't be able to come with you.

I felt like I'd been stabbed. This was it. My eyes welled up with tears as I threw my arms round my mum. She hugged me back and 'shhed' me. I knew she was just being brave, I thought of her being so alone all the time and squeezed her tight.

"Call me after your meeting with Zoey tomorrow evening, sweetie? Let me know how you're getting on?"

I could hear her voice crack as she held back tears. I pulled away from the hug and held her hands. "I'll call every night mum, and you know I'll be here if you need me. We're gonna be okay. IM gonna be okay."

"I love you, Isa."

"I love you too, Mum."

James Stark came round the corner and picked up my bags. He was even more attractive in person. My cheeks flushed when he smiled at me. I knew it was time to go, so I turned back to mum, kissed her cheek and smiled; scared to talk and let the tears start to fall. I turned back to James and walked towards him. "Bye Isa, speak soon." I barely heard my mum as she walked away from me, out of the door. I followed the handsome warrior to the dorms, overwhelmed by emotions, not knowing what to expect in this new world. I was sort of excited by it. It was my life now, whether I liked it or not, and I knew I'd have to make the most of it.

"Looking forward to your first day of school?" His voice was husky, yet comforting. It made me want to tell him the real truth.

"I'm nervous, I never seem to fit in…"

"I know the feeling." He laughed, as if remembering a distant memory. "It's not like a human school here, everyone accepts everyone. I'm sure you'll like it. Don't worry. Zoey doesn't take well to bullying. And trust me you don't wanna see her angry!" He laughed again. I could do with a friend like him.

A blur of blonde hair came running towards me. Before I had time to get a proper look, I was pulled into a warm, friendly embrace.

"OH MY GOD YOU'RE FINALLY HERE!"

I was shocked. I couldn't speak. Who was this girl!

"I'm Cassie. I'm your new room-mate. I've been waiting weeks for you to come. It's been so lonely on my own in a room, we're gonna have so much fun!"


	4. Chapter 4

After several remarks of "Oooh, that's cute" from Cassie, as I unpacked my various band tees, dresses, and of course - skinnies, I decided I liked her. I mean sure, the girl was clearly crazy, but these days, who wasn't? At the end of the day, she was friendly, pretty, we shared the same interests, and she seemed to like me.

"Isa, I gotta go to my last lesson now, Zoey only said I could have my first two off. Meet me in the dinner hall at 5am? I'll introduce you to the gang!" Oh, great, new people, bleugh. I watched Cassie skip out of the door, feeling more than a little helpless. She pounced back to me so quick I almost had a heart attack.

"Oh, I forgot about the days being all messed up for you, why don't you sleep for a couple hours? Its not recommended, but your secret is safe with me!" Cassie winked at me, making me laugh. Strange, I felt so…comfortable around her already. A warm feeling ran through me.

With Cassie gone, I wasn't sure what to do. I was too nervous to sleep. What if the so called 'gang' didn't like me? Would they turn Cassie against me? She was the closest thing I had to a friend…

My stomach hurled.

I had to push these thoughts away. I needed air, and quick. I pushed out of the dorm, which thankfully was completely deserted, and ran through the corridors, searching for a way out.

SMASH.

Oh my god. I'd hit someone. There was books everywhere.

"I'm so sorry, I-I was looking for a way o- are you okay?"

Two bright blue eyes stared at me from under a black mop of hair, it was as though he was frozen with his eyes glued to me…I was kinda creeped out, but in awe at the same time. He stood up and smiled at me, a beaming, friendly smile; the kind you see on toothpaste adverts. He was attractive. VERY attractive. He wore a pair of black, ripped skinnies, and a blue tank top. His skin was flawless, and his eyes made me feel woozy. It was like looking into a pool of clear blue water.

"No worries, first night sickness?" He grinned a cute, lopsided grin at me.

"Yeah, do you know a way out of here? I need a little air."

"Sure, if you turn round this corner, there is a door just at the end of the corridor." His voice was husky, like he'd just woken up.

"Um, thanks." I was blushing. Darn pale skin.

"KODY! Bro!" A tall, dark guy ran up to him, fist bumping and then pulling him into what I think is called a "Bro-hug". He looked at me in disgust.

"Not the type of girl you usually go for dude, she paying you?"

He laughed. Kody LAUGHED. The guy who was so cute and friendly two seconds ago laughed, and then walked away. Eugh, what a jerk.

I could feel tears beginning to well up in my eyes, so I turned towards the corridor that he'd directed me to, and began to run again. I didn't see another soul the whole way out.

I found myself presently under a large statue of Nyx. I knew it was her because we'd done a miniscule unit on Vampyres last year at school. I'd shown a large interest in her back then, and I was even more intrigued now. She seemed so beautiful, magnificent, so…

The bell rang for dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

I burst through the doors of the canteen and immediately began searching for Cassie, avoiding the eyes of inquisitive staring at my odd coloured Mark. As I searched my eyes caught those of Kody's and for a brief moment they lingered, taking in once more his magnificence. An apology flashed across his face and was gone again in a second. I set back to searching the room, and eventually I found Cassie and about 6 others sat in a booth at the far end of the room.

I started towards them, making a quick stop at the counter to pick up a bottle of water and an apple. I thought about how my mum had always given me those exact items when I'd go out to school, funny how those things become habit, huh? A smile crossed my face at the thought of my mum, and I carried on towards Cassie's table.

"Isa! Hey, we've been waiting for you!" Her high-pitched voice was exactly what I needed to hear. I sat down next to her, relieved.

"Hey, Cassie. I'm sorry, I was out by the statue of Nyx, I lost track of time." I gave her my best smile and she turned to the others.

"Guys, this is Isa. My roomie. Isa, these are my friends; Chris, Elizabeth, Jonas, Elphie and Zeta."

Each one of them smiled at me when their name was mentioned. Chris was a tall, blonde haired boy, with glasses and braces, and a cute smile. Elizabeth was dark-skinned, with long, braided black hair, she had a crooked smile and a nose piercing. Jonas was tanned with brown hair and brown eyes. He was clearly a surfer, due to his board shorts and shark-tooth necklace. Hey! I was wearing one of those too! It was immediately obvious where Elphie's name came from. She was pale, and by that I mean white as snow. She had hip-length blonde hair, parted dead centre, and pointed ears. I wondered what her real name was. Unless she really was born into that name? Lastly, I checked out Zeta. She was frumpy, with short brown hair. She wore leggings and a vest top, as if she were about to participate in dance.

"Um, hi. Cool necklace." I smiled at Jonas, deciding he was the one I had most in common with, so I'd start to talk to him first. I pulled my necklace from beneath my tee. "I got mine in Hawaii last summer…"

He gave a cool smile. "You surf huh?"

"Yeah, my Uncle Milton taught me 6 years ago, I've been hooked ever since." I blushed, realising how lame I sounded.

"It's totally awesome, I can see why you're hooked. You ever tried the waves in Australia? I hear they're radical."

"No, I don't get to travel much… Mum and I don't have much money."

"Maybe we could go together after we complete the Change." He shot me a flirty look, then set about eating a cookie.

Zeta was the first of the others to speak to me. "So, you only got Marked tonight?" She had a deep voice, I temporarily silenced in shock.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, today actually, well I guess that's tonight here." Eugh, I'm making a fool out of myself.

"Cool. Any gore?"

"Sorry?" What did she say!

"Gore. Ya'know like blood. I fell down the stairs when I got Marked, there was blood everywhere and I had a gaping hole in my head and-"

Thankfully, Cassie interrupted. "Uh, Zeta, Isa is eating, maybe this story could wait." Zeta grumbled. I looked at Elphie. She looked down shyly. Maybe she could wait. I could see Chris staring at me from the corner of my eye, I was desperately nervous about takling to him. He was freaking me out.

"Isa?" Oh god. He's talking to me.

The bell rang.

"Isa, we're going to the games room if you wanna join us?" Jonas' voice soothed me, I looked up at him.

"Uh, thanks, but I'm kinda tired, I think I'm gonna go back to the dorm and get some sleep." Something about him made me not want to say this, but my head was pounding and I knew I wouldn't last much longer without sleep.

"You want me to walk you back to your dorm? The school can be a little confusing, you could do with a guide."

"Sure. Thanks." I smiled at him.

He took my hand.


	6. Chapter 6

The whole way back to the dorm, there wasn't a moments silence between me and Jonas. We shared the exact same interests. It was like we were born to be best friends, and I hoped that someday we could be. I liked him, he had such a cute, reassuring smile, and I was already comfortable around him. Things were going just fine here, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I'd thought.

"Your dorm is here, Isa, You look so tired, get some sleep. Will I be seeing you at breakfast?"

I nodded, assuming that he would indeed.

"Great, um, so, yeah," He'd gone shy, and was blushing. "Goodnight, sweet dreams. Gah, that sounded lame. Night, Isa."

"Goodnight, Jonas. Thank you." I smiled at him and pushed through the door. I glanced back to see him walking away, quite sad to see him go. I carried on in to the dorm and was greeted by a much larger crowd than when I was last in here. There were several groups of girls crowded round 5 or 6 TV's, and every single girl was different. There were some short, some tall, some thin, some not so thin, some blonde, some brunette, Fledglings of all different shapes and sizes.

I decided I wasn't in the mood for any more socialising, and crept un-noticed up the stairs and into my new room. My mum had packed my duvet and pillows, which me and Cassie had thrown on the bed earlier, so the room felt homely and comfortable. I rummaged through my drawers and found my pyjamas, and stepped into the bathroom to pull them on.

As I stood in the bathroom, I looked in the mirror (gee, this sure was becoming a habit), I looked at my Mark and thought of the tattoos Zoey had shown me. It made me feel good, knowing I had something in common with her. I was still drawn to her in a strange way, as if I knew her from a previous life. She was so…familiar…yet so different to anyone I'd ever seen before. I remembered my meeting with her tomorrow… and school, what would school be like here? I had so many questions, and who knew when I'd find out the answers.

I crawled into bed, exhaustion hitting me like a hammer. Pain rattled behind my eyes, with the strain of keeping them open, and I was relieved to feel the soft pillow against my face. Although my eyes were closed, my brain refused to sleep. Thoughts whistled through my brain at high speeds, and it felt as though each one were bruising the inside of my skull…

Kody. That kid confused me, and I'd only met him for a couple of seconds. He seemed so nice, like he understood, and wanted to help. He had a friendly smile, warm eyes, and a reassuring voice, like that of a true friend. Then suddenly it was as though he couldn't bare to be near me, as if I disgusted him. His eyes had turned cold, and his smile turned into a mocking smirk, causing me to feel but 2 feet tall. And then again, at dinner? He'd looked at me, acknowledged me entering the room, and I even thought he might have been apologising with his face, but then the coldness returned and he was as good as my enemy once again.

Eugh, that's exactly what I DON'T need. Enemies.

I thought next of my mum. I thought of how she must be sitting alone at home, nobody to talk to, nobody to help her. I wanted to be there with her. I wanted to cuddle her and tell her that everything would be okay. I wanted to cook her breakfast in bed and tell her it was all just a dream; I was still human, Grandma and Grandpa still loved her, everything was normal. I couldn't do that, and the thought of hurting my mum was a dagger to my chest.

I opened my eyes and looked at the clock: 7am. My mum would be just waking for work. I could text her. Cassie wasn't in yet, maybe I could even call her. Yes, I'd call her.

The phone rang twice and my mum picked up.

"Isa, sweetheart, is something wrong?" My mums voice was panicked and groggy with sleep.

"Mum, I'm fine. I just wanted to hear your voice before bed."

"Oh, of course, sorry darling, I forgot about the day-night-switchover. How was last night?"

"Pretty good, my roommate Cassie is lovely. I met her friends too. I think I'm gonna be okay here, ya'know." I smiled, because I really meant that.

"Oh! You don't know how glad I am to hear that! Is there any boys there?" I giggled at how cheeky mum sounded. I could imagine her laying there laughing to herself.

"No, mum, there's no boys." I tutted her jokingly.

"Oh, well, I want to be the first to know if there is!"

"Well, of course. You know you would be mum!"

"I know sweetie. Listen, it's lovely to hear you're doing okay. I have to get ready for work now. Don't forget to call me tonight after your meeting. I want to know everything! Goodbye, baby, sleep well."

"Goodnight, mum. I love you."

"I love you too."

She hung up the phone and I returned it to my draw. Rolling over to my side, I smiled to myself.

I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

"Isa, wake up! Darn girl, how on Earth did she sleep through that alarm!"

I could hear a muffled voice speaking, but I wasn't aware of who she was talking to. Probably mum trying to get me out of bed.

"Mum? Is that you? What time is it?" I was shocked by the grogginess of my voice.

"No, Isa. It's Cassie. YOUR ROOMMATE. We have school in an hour. GET OUT OF BED!"

Crap. I forgot about the whole Vampyre thing. Oh my God. The meeting with Zoey! Was I too late? My eyes snapped open in shock. I looked round frantically for the clock which I'd so easily found last night. I was sure it was right next to my be…

I heard the alarm go off, and saw Cassie rush to her bed. So there's the clock. She was hitting it from every direction.

"The button is on the back."

The beeping stopped.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake. Hurry up we don't have long." She turned the clock to me. 6pm. She'd lied. We have two hours before school.

Half an hour to get to Zoey. Ah, crap.

The next 15 minutes went by a the speed of light, I was running around, showering, brushing my hair, throwing on my uniform polo shirt and some skinnies and running down to the dorm for a bottle of water. I wasn't sure if we'd be finished in time for breakfast, and I was a little disappointed about not seeing Jonas. However, there was no time to be disappointed, I needed to get to Zoey. And fast.

"Woah, woah, Isa!"

Wow, again? It was Kody. Again. I'd ran into him. Again.

"Sorry." I wasn't in the mood to be nice to him. Not after yesterday.

"It's cool. Sorry about rushing off yesterday. Thyler's kinda bossy." There was that irresistible smile again.

"You were a jerk." I decided to be straight with him, and he looked a little hurt. Good.

"I know. I'm…I gotta go. See you around." J.E.R.K.

"Yeah."

Eugh, that kid has got serious attitude problems. And why was he always around these corridors! Doesn't he have anything better to do that run into innocent first-day kids?

"Isa, you're here. I was beginning to worry." Zoey's voice called from the end of the corridor. It calmed me almost instantly.

"I'm so sorry, Zoey. I was-"

"You were with Kody. I know."

How did she know that. She knows everything. It's creepy when you think about it. Could she read minds? Crap, what if she was reading mine right now.

"Do not look so worried, child. Come in and sit down. Would you like a drink?"

I waved my bottle of water at her. "I'm good thanks."

She nodded. "I trust you have been welcomed well by my students? Good, now. I have much to explain, so listen close."

As she spoke of an evil pair called Neferet and Kalona, and rituals of the full moon, and circle casting, and the Change, I was mesmerised my the melodic tone of her voice, the ageless beauty behind each of her features, her ability to soothe me, to make me feel safe, her knowledge and wisdom, as though she had fought once a most powerful and courageous battle, in which she had come out on top.

"I will be your mentor for your first year, it will be my personal business to ensure your work is to your best ability, your problems are, well, solved, and your time here at the House Of Night is enjoyable. I will be here all day, and if at ANY point you need advice, or just company, you will find my right here."

_(_Zoey's thought) _Should I say it. No, Zoey, you can't. Can I? Oh, here goes._

"Isa, there is something about you, I feel a connection to you, I will protect you."

There was a moment of silence in which I saw a flash of nerves cross Zoey's face. I was stunned by what she'd said. So she felt the connection too.

I needed to find out what was going on.


	8. Chapter 8

_**This chapter is written from Zoey Redbird's P.O.V. It is only a short chapter, but I wanted to get across Zoey's thoughts.**_

As I watched Isa leave my office, her waist-length Auburn locks swinging gently, it all became clear.

Those eyes, those lips, that pale skin, it could only be from one family. But how could she be one of them? She seemed so excited about Vampyre life, and happy to be here. She seemed so in awe of Nyx and her teachings. She was so willing to learn. She had none of their characteristics, yet she was so obviously from their family.

Should I talk to her about it? Should I let her in on the secret? Obviously it had to be a secret, the girl was bound to get way more attention than she was comfortable with...

I couldn't land all of this on her so soon after she got here, she was sure to go mad with confusion, but every day from now on that I keep it from her I will feel guilty.

I wonder what Nyx found so special about her? Her name – Isa – it means strong-willed, maybe she lives up to that name. Why would Nyx needs somebody strong-willed? Was she trying to warn me of something? Would Isa play a part in defeating whatever it was that was coming our way?

I rose from my chair and moved across to the picture of Nyx that was mounted on the wall on my office.

"Nyx, I am lost. This girl, Isa, she is one of them. Yet she is so different. She has not shown any special qualities, yet you Marked her. Please, speak to me. As High-Priestess I ask your guidance. Where do I go from here?"

I waited for a few seconds, staring into the eyes of my Goddess, hoping, praying she'd communicate with me somehow. She did not. A single tear dripped down my face, and I wiped it away half-heartedly. She had not been with me for so long. I hadn't told anyone this, but I knew Stark could feel my heartbreak. He looked at me with pitiful eyes on several occasion.

I guessed she just wasn't coming, no matter how desperate I was. I slumped back into my chair and started to write to Grandma Redbird. She was the next best from Nyx, and I hoped she could help me.

As I put my pen to paper, I saw a strange purple mist gather above the paper. I sat dumbstruck, staring as a image began to from. Black lines of ink were forming, though I had not yet began to write. They joined together, forming beautiful and intricate and beautiful patterns, more beautiful than any i had ever seen except those on...

I gasped in astonishment.

She was here. Nyx was here.


	9. Chapter 9

As I left Zoey's office, I thought about what she'd said. She felt the connection to me. But what could it possibly be? We'd never met, she was a Vampyre, I was (until yesterday) a human. Redbird was not a family surname, I'd never known another with that surname. Eugh, it was so confusing!

"Hey, Isa!"

I looked up, happy to see Jonas running towards me with a big cheesy grin. It was great already having a friend like him.

"Hey, Jonas!"

"We have Vamp Sociology 101 together right now, you can sit next to me if you like?" I swear I saw him blush before he looked down at his feet.

"That would be great... Are any of the others in our class?" I secretly hoped Cassie would be, seeing as she was pretty much my only other friend.

"No, sorry. Am I not good enough for you then?" Jonas gave a cheeky laugh, but I couldn't help but notice a little bit of seriousness in his question.

"Uh, thats not what I mean." I felt bad, I didn't mean to offend him.

"I know, don't sweat it, Isa. Hey, do you mind if I call you Ice?" He blushed. "Ya'know, like a friendly nickname..."

I liked the idea of a nickname. "Sure, that's fine by me." I smiled at him and his eyes lit up.

"You wanna give me a nickname too?" He was looking at me intently.

"Um, it's okay."

He looked at his feet. "Oh." He sounded so disappointed, I needed to be honest.

Touching his hand, I said gently. "Only because I love your name. It's different, like you are."

"Jonas! Isa! You're late!" A sharp voice shouted from inside the classroom we were standing by.

"That's Jack, he's not mean, he just wants to help. He's dating Damien, one of the High Profs'."

Taking my hand (again!), Jonas pulled me into the classroom.

Eyes peered at me from every direction. Eyes of every colour imaginable. Were they wearing contacts? Some of them had red eyes! They had different coloured Marks too, some blue, and some red. And then there was mine. Purple. Three different types of Fledgling in just one classroom.

When I re-focused, I realised I'd lost Jonas. Panicking, my eyes darted round the room for his curly brown hair, and his signature flowered board shorts. Thankfully he saw me looking, and shouted at me to join him. Embarrassed I crossed the classroom and slid into my chair silently.

Jack began to speak immediately after I sat down, making it clear that he had only been waiting for me. The voices immediately vanished as soon as he began his first word. I don't blame them, his voice was angelic, and the things he spoke of were unbelievably interesting. He spoke about how there are different types of Vampyre, like I had just noticed. He told of how the Red One (Stevie-Rae, a High Priestess at our school, how cool is that!) had completed a different type of Change after being subjected to an evil fate. She chose good, and managed to regain humanity, and became the leader of the Red fledglings. He spoke of how Zoey Redbird was special to Nyx, having an affinity for all five elements; Spirit, Water, Earth, Air and Fire. He spoke of how she defended the House Of Night against an evil worse than Satan, and upon returning to the House Of Night here, gained Purple tattoos, therefore beginning a New Age. That's where I come in, and Oh boy did people know it. Every eye in the room turned to me now.

I was the first Purple Fledgling. The first of my kind.

Questions began firing at me from all over the room.

"Did you realise it was different before you got here?"

"Do you think YOU'RE special to Nyx too?"

The I heard a spine-chillingly cold voice that I recognised all too well. "Of course she does, she's clearly a stuck-up bitch."

Thyler exchanged a high-five with Kody, congratulating him on his pathetic remark. Kody knew nothing about me. I shot him daggers with my eyes, willing him to butt out of my life. I hardly knew the guy, but already I hated him.

I began to think about the last question I was asked.

_What if I was special to Nyx, what if she needed me, what if I was Marked for a reason?_


	10. Chapter 10

As I stumbled through the rest of the day, enduring Drama and Poetry, as well as equestrian studies, I found that the only class I knew nobody in was Equestrian Studies. This didn't bother me at all, because I'd prefer to be round animals than people anyway. Stevie -Rae was standing in as the Professor for a while, so I wasn't the only person in the room with a different coloured Mark.

"O.K, y'all listen up. I'm gonna be taking ES for a few weeks as our usual professor is...uhm…not well." The worry behind her voice made it clear we weren't being told all of the details. "But anyway, in a second we shall go into the stables and each of you will be chosen by a horse. To do this you will each walk by the stables one by one. If the horse likes you, it will snort. Understood?"

We all nodded in unison. This sounded strange to me, when I'd done horse-riding as a child, I'd always just chosen the prettiest horse, I'd never heard of a horse choosing for itself…

"Isa, are you listening?"

CRAP. I need better concentration. "Uh, yeah, sorry…" I was blushing, great. I could feel everyone's eyes staring at me and couldn't wait to get out of here.

"Good, right let's go, Isa, you can go first." She smiled at me, letting me know she wasn't mad. I stood at the front of the line, facing the door of the stables.

"Okay, Isa. Just go through the door, walk slowly through and whichever horse you hear, step into their stable."

Right, okay, I could do that… I started towards the door, when out of the corner of my eye I saw black hair dash behind a wall. I knew exactly who that was, it was Kody. Once again he wasn't in lesson. What is with him? Maybe I should ask Zoey…

As I walked through the door I found around ten stable-door, with beautiful horses poking their heads out. There were around 5 greys, 4 sandy coloured ones, and a single black one. The black horse had a beautiful white lighting bolt on the nuzzle of its nose. I secretly hoped he'd choose me.

Walking past the doors one by one, several horses allowed me to touch their noses, but none snorted. I got to the black horse. A snort. He chose me. I let out a giggle of excitement and opened the door, going into his stable. I wrapped my arms round his neck, snuggled into him.

He had a name printed onto his saddle, which was hanging on the wall. He was called Midnight. I figured this was appropriate, considering the pitch black colour of his coat. I went back to his side, his eyes never left mine.

I heard each of the 8 other students in my class take their turn at being chosen by a horse. Once we all had our partners, Stevie-Rae entered. She walked down towards the end where I was standing with Midnight. When she saw me she recoiled in horror.

"OH! Isa! You're not safe…don't touch him!"

I was confused, what on earth was she talking about? Not safe? I'd been cuddling him for at least 20 minutes, of course I was safe… I just stared at Stevie-Rae, dumbstruck.

"This horse, Midnight. He is a very important horse…But also very dangerous. He has not let anyone touch him since he got here 5 years ago." She looked at how close I was standing to him. "Can YOU touch him?"

I nodded. "Yes, I can." I was confused, she had said he was dangerous, but yet, he was so calm and cool, and so beautiful.

"Show me." She stared in disbelief as I took another step closer and brushed through his silky mane with my fingers. The warmth of his breath as he stared at me was comforting, so I once again wrapped myself round him for an embrace.

Stevie-Rae stared, mouth open at my actions. She was silent for quiet for a long time before dropping her head and whispering.

"But only one being may touch this horse…"

I wasn't sure if she was talking to me, but I was intrigued. "Who?"

She drew a long breath, looking back up at me.

"Nyx. This horse last belonged to Nyx."


	11. Chapter 11

I stood in silence, baffled, wondering what on earth I could do now. Stevie-Rae had fled from the stables immediately after her shocking words, followed by the rest of my class, so I stood alone, accompanied only by Nyx's horse, Midnight.

He breathed impatiently in my ear, startling me out of my unconscious thinking state. I turned to stroke his neck and spoke gently to him.

"What does this mean? Why did you choose me, boy?"

He looked at me with his dark eyes, sympathetic, yet revealing nothing. I knew my only option was to speak to Zoey, maybe she could explain.

Walking down towards Zoey's office, I could hear muffled voice's, but my hearing had improved drastically in becoming a Fledgling, so I could just about hear their words.

"Zoey, what's going on? Why has that girl been chosen by Nyx's horse?" Stevie-Rae hissed.

"Calm down, Stevie. I think we should continue this some other time. Isa, come in."

I pushed open the door and was met by the members of the school's High Council. I looked around at them quickly, Stevie-Rae was the only Red Vampyre. She was also the only one who's eyes were angry as she looked at me.

"Stevie-Rae." Zoey warned, amd Stevie-Rae's eyes changed.

"Sorry for storming out earlier, Isa. See you next lesson."

And with that, the Vamp's left, leaving me alone with my mentor.

"Zoey, why did that horse choose me?" I looked at her, confused and worried. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Zoey chuckled. "No, Isa. You are fine. Listen, I have something very important to tell you, so you might want to sit down. Drink?"

I stared in horror as she offered me a small bottle of red liquid. A gasp escaped my lips.

"OH! No, Isa, it's just blackcurrant squash! Don't worry, you don't have to drink blood!" I saw an amused look flash across Zoey's face, as though she was laughing at a distant memory. She regained her concentration and poured me a glass of water.

"Isa, may I ask you something?"

"Yeah.." I was nervous, and my palms were sweating, but I tried to hide it.

"Your grandparents…they are called Linda and John Heffer, aren't they?"How did she know that? She really does know EVERYTHING.

"Yeah…" It hurt me to think about them after their last words. "It's okay, Isa. They won't ever understand. People Of Faith are very one sided." My head jolted up. How could she possibly know that. Hell, if I didn't know better I'd say she knew them!

"Zoey, how do you know all of that?" I stammered.

"Isa, my mother is Linda Heffer."

Everything went black, I'd passed out, as I fell to the floor I heard Zoey screaming."AIR COME TO ME! SOFTEN HER FALL. EARTH COME TO ME! SOOTHE HER AND STOP THE PANIC." Hearing her summon earth and air, as if she could genuinely speak to them launched my mind into deep thought, and everything around me faded out, I was taken into a safe haven, with no feeling or distraction…

"Isa, can you hear me? It's time to wake up. I know the elements have taken you to a nice place, but you have to come back around now."

I struggled to open my eyes, and saw Zoey's long black hair falling all around me, like a protective shield. "Zoey?"

"Yes, Isa, I'm here. Lets get you back up onto the chair shall we?" I felt her arms gently lifting me and the next thing I knew I was once again sat opposite her, in front of her desk.

"You're…you're my aunty?" I couldn't believe it, I'd known there was some sort of connection, but I would have never expected this.

"Yes, Isa. I know it's a shock, but the only reason I didn't tell you was because…well, I knew you were from that family, and my mother was never accepting of what I became, I didn't know if you had been brainwashing into thinking the same awful things about us as they do, but then you came here, so willing to accept and learn our ways, and Nyx spoke to me, and she told me that you are different. I wanted to tell you straight after that, but I couldn't find the words."

I sat silent, absorbing the new information before bursting into tears.

"WHY CAN'T I EVER JUST BE A NORMAL KID!"

Rubbing my back to soothe me, Zoey whispered.

"Why don't we just keep this as our little secret. You'll get way too much attention from all the others, maybe you should get settled in first?" She smiled at me and I felt warm inside. Maybe this was actually a good thing, I mean I have family here now! I smiled back and gave her a hug.

"I suppose I better get going, my friends will be wondering where I am."

Zoey laughed, "Jonas is waiting outside, he was obviously missing you more than the others." She winked at me and I walked out of the door, straight into a disaster.


	12. Chapter 12

"You have a crush on her, don't you!?" Kody pushed Jonas on the shoulder and sneered at him. "You have a crush on the weird girl!"

"Leave me alone!" Whimpered Jonas, cowering away from the pushes that were growing more and more forceful. "You don't know her."

"Oh, I know her alright. I know her better than you'll know. You're a nobody, Jonas. You haev no right to tell me what you do, or don't know." He shoves harder, making Jonas' slim frame wobble and almost collapse.

"You touch him one more time, Kody. I dare you." I glared at him, my eyes full of fire.

"Oh, and I suppose that a threat, is it? You think I'm scared of a freak like you? Look at you, no wonder everybody hates you."

SMACK.

Jonas has launched his hardest punch into Kody's left cheek. Kody did not feel a thing. The skin of his face barely wobbled, and his face of stone turned cold. His eyes pierced into the depths of Jonas' soul, ripping him apart mentally.

"You've done it now, Jonas."

In the blink of an eye, Kody's hands wrapped around Jonas' throat, stopping his breathing. Kody's eyes flamed and he lifted his fist. 1. 2. 3. He hit Jonas' stomach, winding him. 4. 5. 6. He did it again.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" I screamed. Throwing my hands forward toward them in a frenzy.

Before any of us could register what was happening, bolts of electricity zapped from the overhead lighting, jolting down into Kody, sending his tumbling to the floor. He looked up at me, shocked.

"The new age vamps have new affinities." He ran.

"What? Kody? What do you mean?" My questions recieved no response, Kody was gone.

I ran to Jonas' side, he was pale and breathing heavy. I lifted his head and placed it on my knees.

"How do you feel?"

He met my eyes with his own, chesnut pools, allowing me in. "Terrible. Don't let him hurt you, Ice."

His voice was weak, but the use of my nickname comforted me. "Let's get you out of here, J-J." I covered my mouth and let out a nervous giggle. "Uh, sorry, Jonas. I meant Jonas."

"I like J-J. Reminds me of home." He smiled, I noticed his smile was slightly crooked, and a butterfly nipped the inside of my stomach.

"Do you miss home?" I whispered, saddened by the thought of my mum all alone.

"No, my parents weren't great. I wouldn't go back in a million years. Not even if they found a cure for this whole Vamp thing. Do you?"

"I'm really sorry to hear that. Yes, I miss home. Although its probably a mess now. My grandparents started a war when this happened." I tapped my Mark. "My mum is my best friend, I miss her like crazy."

He smiled. "Looks like I'm coming home with you when we leave then." He winked at me and laughed.

For a moment, we were silent. Content with the silent thoughts of a happier time.

"Isa..." Jonas whispered, almost too low to hear.

"Yes, Jonas?"

He looked into my eyes, irritating the butterfly again.

"I'm so glad you're here."

That was all he said, but the simplicity sounded like the most compliccated and beautiful symphony to my ears. A overwhelming feeling of belonging came over me, anchoring me to the moment. All at once, the butterfly in my stomach multiplied, until there were one million tiny little butterflies, embarking on an exciting adventure.

"Jonas, I-"

Lifting his head towards me, he placed a soft finger on my lips. His eyes never once left mine, not until his soft, warm lips replaced his finger and he wisked me away into a fairytale.


	13. Chapter 13

As our lips pulled apart, our faces stayed close. I stared into his eyes, waiting for my stomach to calm down. He stared back at me, not moving, not speaking.

A single droplet of blood left the side of Jonas' mouth.

"Jonas, you're bleeding..." I gasped in shock.

I received no reply.

"JONAS, LISTEN TO ME! YOU'RE BLEEDING!" I screamed in terror.

Zoey came running out of her office in panic.

"Isa, what's going on?" She looked at me and touched my shoulder.

"Kody, he attacked Jonas... It was all my fault.. He's bleeding..." I was crying now.

"It's okay, go and sit down in my office. I'll get Jonas to the infirmary, they'll look after him, I promise." Her eyes showed more worry than she was letting on.

I watched as she lifted Jonas and walked away with his limp body in her arms. I walked into her office and fell into the chair, sobbing.

I'd heard of this. Rejecting the change. Blood from the mouth. I couldn't lose Jonas, not now. My lips still tingled from his kiss, my heart was still beating fast. This was all my fault, Kody was tormenting him for being friends with me.

I heard footsteps in the room and looked up, expecting to see Zoey. Instead I was met by an ancient woman, hunched over a walking stick as if even standing hurt too much. She was looking at me with cautious, yet caring eyes.

"You must be Isa." She said. "I'd recognise those eyes anywhere."

I looked at her blankly. Who was this woman?

"Well, aren't you going to give Great Grandma Redbird a seat?"

Great Grandma Redbird? This must be where Zoey got the name from. How could she be related to me, though? There were no Redbirds in my family...

"Uh, sorry...I..." I stuttered, still confused. I got up from the chair and slumped onto a bean bag.

"I know, dear. You didn't know who I was. Besides, it looks like there's other things on your mind? Are you okay sweet pea?" She smiled and took the seat I had vacated for her.

"I'm sorry, my friend isn't well...Zoey is taking him to the infirmary." Tears filled my eyes again.

"You know, my Zoey doesn't give up easily, she WILL save him." She laughed. "You obviously caught the Heffer pessimism!"

"Mrs Redbird...Why have my family never told me about you?" I asked, unable to keep in my curiousity any longer.

She sighed. "Well, Isa. When my daughter, Linda, married her beloved John, there was rather a large family incident. See, I don't agree with the People Of Faith, and I most certainly do not agree with mistreating your children due to a new husband. Anyway, when Zoey was marked, your grandparents disowned her..."

"...just like me." I whispered.

"Sorry dear? My old ears aren't as good as they used to be." She laughed a contangious laugh.

"The disowned me too, just yesterday, actually. And my mum too, because she stuck by me."

"And it seems you must now understand why I was not part of your family anymore."

I nodded. "So you've never met my mother?"

"Unfortunately not, your mother was conceived as a replacement for Zoey, and I was not allowed to meet her...or, it seems, you." She looked guiltily at me. "I do hope you understand that I tried, Isa. I did not abandon your mother..."

The door clicked open, and Zoey walked in. She stopped in surprise as she saw her grandmother and I chatting away, both with tears in our eyes.

"Grandma Redbird, what's brought you here? Is everything okay?" She seemed worried, was this not just a friendly visit?

"Zoey, darling, yes I'm fine...can we talk alone?" Grandma Redbird looked at me apologetically.

"Of course, of course." Zoey looked at me with pain in her eyes. "Jonas is going to have to stay the night in the infirmary, we're doing everything we can."

My heart stopped for just a moment, and then sank to my stomach. I got up from the bean bag, and robotically left the room, willing my legs to stay strong until I was out of Zoey's sight. I forced a smile on the way out of the door, and managed to make it to a bench round the corner before I collapsed again.

I sat with my head in my hands, crying hysterically for the best part of an hour. I felt a soft bump as someone sat beside me and I hoped it was Cassie, come to comfort me.

I felt an arm slide over my shoulder pulling my in, and the smell as my head hit their chest made me bounce straight up.

"KODY!" I hissed.


	14. Chapter 14

Kody jumped away from my violent escape from his arms.

"Woah, calm down girl!" He mocked.

"Calm down!? CALM DOWN!? YOU JUST PUT MY BEST FRIEND INTO THE INFIRMARY AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN!?"  
He looked shocked at my outburst, and slid further away down the bench.

"Just, listen to me, Isa." He begged.

"I don't want to listen to you, Kody. Right now the sight of you is making me sick. You think just because you're attractive you can just do whatever you want? You know what? I would choose Jonas over you anyday. Except I can't now because thanks to you he's dying." I screamed and started to walk away.

"It wasn't me that hurt him. It was you."

I stopped. Turning round I charged back towards him. "Why would you even say that? I liked him. A lot. You were the one throwing your fists at him!"

"You kissed him, didn't you?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "How...How do you know that?"

Ignoring my question, he continued. "Your affinity, its electricity. You kissed him while still charged by your affinity. He wasn't bleeding when I left."

Stunned into silence, I could do nothing but watch as Kody took something out of his pocket, placed it onto the bench and walked away.  
It was at least five minutes before I caught the strength to make it back to the bench. I sat and looked at my hands. What if Kody was right? What if it WAS me that had hurt Jonas?

From the corner of my eye I saw Cassie running towards me. My reflexes grabbed the object Kody had left before she could get there.

"ISA! Omg, I'm so glad I found you, I've been worried sick." She sat besides me and threw her arms around me. "I heard about Kody and Jonas...who'd have thought it hey?"

"Oh, Cassie, it was so horrible!" I cried harder and harder, until eventually the tearss stopped coming. I wanted to talk to her about what had happened when I got angry, and what Kody had said, but I couldn't find the words. Besides, did I really want her thinking I was even more of a freak?

She grabbed her bag and pulled out a bottle of fizzy and a chocolate bar. "Here, your energy levels must be pretty low, you missed breakfast AND dinner." She handed me the drink first and I put it up to my trembling lips. I gulped down almost the whole bottle in one go...I hadn't realised quite how thirsty I was. She handed me the chocolate bar next, but I couldn't bring myself to eat. Looking at me sympathetically, Cassie whispered, "Maybe sleep is a better idea?"

I nodded, feeling suddenly exhausted, and she pulled me up. We started to walk back to our dorm together, Cassie's arm supporting my weak frame the whole way. As we walked through the door, the whole room stopped and stared at me. Looks of fear, disbelief and sympathy found me from all angles of the room. My story had obviously been told by Kody.  
Cassie shoved me forward, and I realised I had stopped in the doorway, she continued to push me all the way up the stairs and into our room.

"Your phone went off while you were out, and your pyjamas are in the shower room." She smiled and left the room. "I'm gonna go get some crisps okay?" She shouted on her way downstairs.

I went straight for my phone and opened the text that was waiting for me, it ws from my mum.

_Hi Isa, how're things? You didn't call me after your meeting, is everything ok? _  
_Love you always, mum x_

I smiled, and sent a quick text back explaining that everything was fine - there was no need to worry her with everything so soon after losing me. I walked through and jumped in the the shower to calm down. The harsh jets of water hit my back, burning, but soothing at the same time.

Pulling the duvet cover over my head, I turned my back to Cassie and closed my eyes. As I drifted off, images of Jonas filled my head. His face covered in blood, his eyes stone cold.

His heart not beating.


End file.
